1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an input method using a remote input device, and more particularly to a remote input method for transmitting a user input to a main device through an auxiliary input device having a fingerprint recognition sensor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a user input unit of a handheld device, such as a mobile communication terminal, is a keypad. Users can input data by directly pressing keys provided on the key pad. Due to the trend toward small mobile terminals with a large display screen, the actual area assigned to the user input unit is becoming smaller with a reduced number and size of the keys and a tight spacing of the keys. As a result, users may have some difficulty using the small-sized and tightly-spaced keys accurately. Those keys may increase the possibility that the users press a wrong key during the input of data. Such problems arise more frequently during the use of a mobile terminal having an unusual shape, for example, a watch-shaped phone.
Recently, a remote input means, such as a remote controller, has become available to control a mobile terminal which acts as a main device. The remote input means is generally provided with only up/down keys and a small number of function keys. A user can control the main device, i.e. the mobile terminal, using the remote input means, instead of using the user input unit included in the mobile terminal. However, only a few functions can be controlled using the remote input means. To control more functions of the main device using the remote input means, the number of keys provided on the remote input means needs to be increased, which results in an increase of the overall size of the remote input means.
Therefore, a need exists to develop a small-sized remote input means having a simple structure, while being capable of inputting commands for controlling various functions available in a main device, such as a mobile terminal, to the main device.